


To Be Loved

by Foxxoul



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Male My Unit | Byleth, Present Tense, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:27:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25541338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxxoul/pseuds/Foxxoul
Summary: Byleth chases Dimitri's ghosts away
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	To Be Loved

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to write some soft shit. I don't write things that aren't angst or smut very often, so this might not be too great, but I hope you'll enjoy it ^-^

Byleth ambles down the cobbled walkway, gazing around at the crumbling walls around. He has done this many nights before. The progress on cleaning the monastery was taking longer than anticipated, but with more battles than expected occurring, it wasn’t much of a surprise. He stops outside of the Cathedral doors, which are slightly ajar. He almost sighs.  _ Dimitri… _

He steps through the small opening and sees a large figure lit partially by the moonlight that shines through holes in the ceiling. He approaches the figure, probably not as cautiously as he should, and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Dimitri.” The figure does not react, the only movement is the fur on his cloak ruffling in the wind. A few moments pass, and then a shudder.

“ _ Professor.” _ He sounds lost, scared, desperate. A sharp pang stabs through Byleth’s heart and he steps closer, placing a hand between the man’s shoulder blades, slowly sliding it up to grasp solidly on his large shoulder, a gentle reminder. “Byleth.” He corrected himself, voice softer.

“You’re up late.” Byleth comments and gives his shoulder another light squeeze.

“I couldn’t sleep.” A simple explanation, but spoken with such a tone, Byleth knew what he was saying.

“Neither can I.” He echoes, though in a different tone, a different meaning. Dimitri turns his head just enough to see the other man. “Come to my room.” An invitation, not a command. They were equal. Neither man could view himself higher than the other. Dimitri looks back at the pile of rubble before him and lets out a breath. He gives a curt nod, then follows as Byleth turns to leave.

Byleth changes out of his armor in the corner of his room, almost smiling at how Dimitri’s eyes were looking at everything except him. He looks over his shoulder when he’s done, expression blank as ever.

“At least take off your armor.” Byleth asks, almost pleading. There had been times in the past where he had hugged or otherwise held the younger man when he had been in armor, and it was not anywhere near a comfortable experience. 

Dimitri lets out a gruff sound of annoyance, but pulls his cloak off. Byleth comes over to help him out of armor, then sets it on his desk. He walks into Dimitri’s arms, letting his head fall on his shoulder, breathing in deeply. 

Dimitri does not smell pleasant. The scent of musk, sweat, and blood stain his clothes. Byleth can’t bring himself to care. They’ve both been busy, day and night, and he knows he probably smells the same. He steps away after another beat and blows out the candle sitting beside his bed. He takes Dimitri’s hand and leads him over to the bed, clambering over to the side beside the wall and looking up expectantly.

“You cannot possibly expect both of us to fit on this.” Dimitri almost sounds amused. 

“I can and I do.” Byleth lays on his bed, pressing his shoulder against the wall, and pats the mattress beside him. Dimitri rolls his eyes, but slowly climbs on, wincing at the creak of the wood. He lays on his side, casting a worried glance over his shoulder at the edge of the bed, barely sticking past his body. Byleth places a hand on his cheek and turns his head. They gaze at each other, then Byleth brings his partners head down to rest on his chest. 

Minutes pass and Dimitri starts to relax, letting a hand rest on the muscle beside his head. He shuts his eyes and listens to the sounds around him. Byleth’s soft, slow breaths, mingling with his own. His own heartbeat. And Byleth…

“Byleth?” Dimitri murmurs, voice barely audible. Byleth hums in response, fingers stroking his cheek. “Your heart…” Dimitri doesn’t finish. He knows it sounds silly. If he just listened harder, he was sure he would be able to hear it.

“What about my heart?” Byleth’s voice rumbles in his chest. Dimitri stays quiet for a moment, listening intently. Nothing. He pushes himself up slightly and looks up at Byleth, gazing down at him through half-lidded eyes. 

“Explain yourself.” Dimitri gulps. His heart starts pounding in his chest. Not this. It can’t be true. A ghost? An imposter? He pushes himself further up, so he’s sitting on his elbow, body as far away from Byleth as he can manage. He won’t jump out of bed yet. He can’t let him know he’s suspicious.

Byleth raises his hand, fallen from Dimitri’s face, and rests it over his heart. He stares down at it for a moment, thoughtfully, then looks back up at Dimitri. “My heart is made of stone. I’ve never been able to express emotions. I barely feel emotions. Please don’t be wary of me, Dima. I promise I’m who you think I am.” He keeps his hand on his own chest. He won’t push the boundaries of Dimitri’s comfort. “My heart… I think it is a crest stone. The crest of flames. The one of the goddess, Sothis.” 

“You have the heart of the goddess?” Dimitri chuckles, a deep roar in his throat. 

“Do you want so badly to be alone that you would believe I’m a ghost rather than this? I promise you, Dimitri,” now he lifts his hand to touch Dimitri’s chin, fingers warm as always. “I will not lie to you.” Dimitri holds his gaze for a while, before he drops his head with a gentle shake. 

“I should not believe you. It makes no sense, and yet…” He looks back up, the ghost of a smile on his lips. “It is the only thing that makes sense.” He lets himself relax again, head once again rested on Byleth’s chest. Byleth slips his fingers into his hair, twirling the pale strands between his fingers. 

Minutes pass by in silence, only the sounds of their breathing filling the room, before Dimitri opens his mouth to speak.

“Yes, Dima?” Byleth asks, only slightly annoyed at the interruption, as he was close to sleep.

“You say you don’t feel.”

“Barely.” Byleth specifies. Dimitri raises himself to a propped position on his elbow. Byleht opens his eyes to gaze at him. 

“Do you…” Dimitri worries at his lip as he ponders the question he wants to ask. “Do you feel nothing for me?”

“Oh, Dima.” Byleth sighs as he raises his hand to cup Dimitri’s cheek, thumb stroking over his cheek bone. “I feel everything for you.”

“Everything?” Dimitri asks, a slight furrow to his brow. 

“Yes, everything. Sometimes, I feel so strongly for you, it makes my stomach turn. Not in a bad way,” he specifies when he sees Dimitri’s frown through the darkness of the room. “Just… In the most perfect way.” The corner of Dimitri’s mouth quirks up into a smile and he allows Byleth to pull him back down. “Go to sleep, love. No ghosts will haunt you tonight.”

“Love…” Dimitri echoes. Byleth hums in affirmation, and Dimitri hides his grin in Byleth’s chest. He doesn’t know when he falls asleep, but he does know it is the first night in years he has slept without the presence of the voices clawing at the back of his mind. 


End file.
